


Freedom

by petiteneko



Series: 10 Days of lawlu 2019 [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 21:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19384915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petiteneko/pseuds/petiteneko
Summary: Oh, Luffy wasn't talking about ships, was he?





	Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of angst, warning. For the 10 days of lawlu 2019, prompt: Captain's Quarters/Polar Tang and 1000 Sunny.
> 
> (yes, I know, how dare I make a potentially smutty prompt into angst.)

“Ne Torao, how come you never sleep on the Sunny?”

The question, it made Law flinch. Made him wonder: why? **Where?** How did this even become a question, and what made Luffy ask it _now_ of all times? But Law closed his eyes. Closed them and tried to play off his shock and surprise as annoyance.

“Let me think…” And he paused, keeping his eyes closed as he exhaled. “Aside from the fact that the closest thing to a bed on your ship is the cot in the medical room? Or, perhaps, the fact that your men’s quarters is, quite literally, filled with incessant snoring all night long? What about the lack of privacy entirely? Or that those wooden slabs you call beds rock at every single movement?”

When Law opened his eyes, he saw Luffy making a sour face at him.

“Don’t insult her, Torao.”

Her…? Ah, Luffy was referring to the Sunny. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. “I’m not.” Because, really, this wasn’t about the Sunny, or Luffy’s crew either. But, they were good enough reasons anyway.

Why? Why couldn’t Luffy have just kept his mouth shut, and not ask such an awkward, yet heavy question? (Of course, Luffy did not know just how _heavy_ that question was. He did not know just how awkward it was. He just was wondering. Was curious, as per his nature. Jealous, perhaps, even.) Discuss something else, perhaps about the numerous fishes that swam past his window. He always was fascinated by them…

Luffy tilted his head up to continue looking at him. “...Then, why are you coming up with all these excuses, Torao?” And there was that serious expression on his face whenever Luffy knew that he had hit the nail on the head. “Because… even if I asked Franky to make us a room, you still wouldn’t sleep on her, would you?”

\--Tch. Just _what_ was going on in that rubber brain of his? Nevermind that. Law… he _wasn’t_ in the mood to talk about this.

“What’s so bad about the Tang, then?” Instead, he just challenged Luffy back - the idiot always loved a challenge, didn’t he? “I thought you liked seeing what’s under the sea.”

It was that challenge that made Luffy squirm out of his arms to turn around, hands now placed on Law’s knees. “I _do_ Torao, but sometimes… sometimes I feel… stuck. _Trapped._ Because I can’t go outside and breathe fresh air when I want to. Can’t look up and see the clouds or the stars, Can’t see the sun as it comes up and lights up the sky and sea. But, on the Sunny, I **can.** On the Sunny, I feel **_free._** ”

Law tried to hide it. Hide his frown. Hide the way his emotions bubbled within him. But, with the look on Luffy’s face, Law knew that he had failed in even that.

Because it was those very reasons, those very _feelings_... that made Law **_hate_** the Sunny. Hate being on her. Open. It was too open…

No, not the Sunny, but being on a _ship._

Because, being open it meant being vulnerable. It meant that Doflamingo - who had **every** reason to - could come up and snatch him up into the skies and away to Dressrosa, make Law _learn to die for him._

Although, Law did have to admit that those were not the only reasons why Law couldn’t stand being on the Sunny for too long. (Because Doflamingo, he was captured. Behind bars. Unable to invoke terror in him or harm him.) It wasn’t just because the Sunny was vulnerable and open and exposed, and the Tang was safe, secure, hidden. No, there were other… _deeper_ reasons…

Luffy’s voice brought him back to the present. To the _now_ with his ally pressuring him into answering his question.

“Being a pirate means freedom, so why do you choose to be _trapped_ Torao?”

But all that Luffy was doing right now - was bothering him. Pestering him. Putting him in a situation in which he didn’t want to be in. It was frustrating him. And, it took the physical sensation of his nails digging into the flesh of his palms for him to realise that he was clenching his fists.

End. Law just wanted this conversation to **end.**

“If I **wanted** to be on a ship, why the **hell** would I have picked a submarine to travel on!”

Drop - Luffy just needed to **drop** the issue!

Hands were clutching onto his knees even more tightly now. A worried expression painted Luffy’s face. “You’re **trapped** Torao. By… something. Fear?”

Oh. Luffy was talking metaphorically. He wasn’t talking about ships. Well, not exactly anyway.

(Still did not help matters all that much.)

“What is it, Torao? What’s stopping you?” Those hands, they now moved up to cup his cheeks, his thumb caressing his cheekbones. That god-damned expression of _worry_ on his face. “You’re a _pirate_ Torao. So, be **free.** ”

_Freedom._

It… It wasn’t that easy, Luffy.

Because - freedom… Well… Law he had forgotten the very definition of that word ever since Lami had collapsed at the festival, in pain as white splotches littered her body. Since person after person died at his father’s hospital, from a disease that affected each and every person in their country - a disease that coursed through his own veins. Since war and genocide happened before his very eyes. Since running from home to home, getting yelled and attacked and screamed at as he struggled to survive. (Even though he was destined to die, anyway.)

But then… then Doflamingo, he redefined that word for him. By giving him a place to stay, a means to exact revenge, a.. _Family_ , even if artificial in nature. He did it with open skies, the splash of seawater, laughter echoing out into the open air, a sun rising over the ocean horizon. And then... then there was Cora-san. Cora-san and his smiles. Cora-san and his klutziness. Enthusiasm and idiocy. The **fruit** shoved down his throat...

And _finally_ Doflamingo had ripped it away from him once more with a birdcage, some bullets and a promise: _he will learn to die for me._

And yes, while they had ensured that Doflamingo had been locked away (just as Cora-san had wanted) and far from harming him - the wounds were still there. Law, he could feel the weight of the shackles that had - quite literally - become more than just metaphorical. He was still haunted by those bittersweet memories. He could still hear those words as Doflamingo laid his **claim** on him as clear as day.

_Law was originally my subordinate._

_Freedom._

It, really, wasn’t easy, Luffy.

Because, Law missed those days with an odd nostalgia, despite himself. He longed for that childish ignorance once moe. Even if they hurt. Even if they were bittersweet, at best. Even if they brought back _more_ , more unpleasant memories. Because Law, he **felt** free in those few years, even if, in reality, he truly wasn’t. And, feeling that familiar sway of a boat beneath him, looking up to see an open clear sky, feeling the spray of saltwater in his face… it only made Law remember the _Family._

And with that always came Dolfamingo. Doflamingo and his laughter that - quite honestly - would always haunt his dreams.

(He supposed, he should answer that idiot’s question, shouldn’t he?)

“Living on a _ship_ is hardly the definition of freedom for me, Mugiwara-ya.” Law said with a sigh. “The last time I did that, was when I was a part of Doflamingo’s crew. And, I don’t think I need to tell you that those weren’t exactly the most _freeing_ of memories.”

As Law watched Luffy’s reaction it seemed he _finally_ began to understand. Then, Luffy wrapped his arms around his neck, pressing his head against his chest.

Law responded by closing his eyes and resting his head atop Luffy’s.

“Running away doesn’t help, Torao…” Luffy softly whisper. “But, I won’t push either.”

And, finally, Law understood Luffy’s actions, now. Luffy - he saw that Law as suffering. That Law needed to confront this issue. Luffy wanted him to stop suffering.

Perhaps, it was time to face his demons, and who better to help him do so than the man who, quite literally, beat up the physical manifestation of it?

Law loosely draped his arms around Luffy. “...You serious about that room?”

Luffy laughed.

“If that’ll get you to sleep on her.”

Law only hummed in approval.


End file.
